


Alternative Course

by Winner_of_the_disability_bingo



Category: Lego Ninjago
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Blood and Injury, Burns, Gen, Maybe - Freeform, did i binge four seasons then write this in one day, hurt Kai, i would die for these lego ninjas, kai acting like a big brother, or a dad depending on how you look at it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-07
Updated: 2021-03-08
Packaged: 2021-03-12 10:41:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 10,509
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29259114
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Winner_of_the_disability_bingo/pseuds/Winner_of_the_disability_bingo
Summary: What if Kai continued to try to get the Fang Blade, and didn't unlock his true potential? The Fang Blade is his but he and Lloyd have even bigger problems.
Relationships: Lloyd Garmadon & Kai
Comments: 12
Kudos: 62





	1. The Eruption

Kai kneeled in the volcano, reaching for the Fang Blade. The others had left, he almost reached it when a cry distracted him. He looked out into the pool of lava.

Lloyd. He was supposed to be with the others, why wasn’t he? That was the exact reason he was paying attention to the Fang Blade and not his surroundings.

From the looks of it, the rock Lloyd was on would hold out for at least five more minutes. Kai could use that time to grab both the blade and the boy.

Which one to grab first? Lloyd’s life was significantly more important than the Fang Blade, but if Kai fell into the lava while reaching for it, he’d get a few major burns and Lloyd would _die_. The Fang Blade, on the other hand, was much closer, and if he fell in, he’d be the only one who had to deal with the burns.

“Lloyd!” The boy looked up at the sound of his name. “I’m coming to you in a second. Whatever you do, don’t move.” Llyod nodded and Kai went back to reaching for the blade, watching Lloyd from the corner of his eye.

He managed to grab it just as it submerged itself in the lava. He quickly withdrew his hand, holding back a scream of pain. When he opened his eyes (he must have closed them when he stuck his hand in), he saw the mass of melted skin -and was that _bone_ \- underneath the pristine Fang Blade.

Mission one complete. Now, time for mission two.

The space Lloyd had on top of his rock had significantly shrunk. The lava was rising faster than Kai had expected. He tied the Fang Blade to his gi and tore off his leg wraps to bandage his hand.

Once he was done, he ignored the burning in his hand and the increasing pain in his waist, where the blade was pressed, and began to make his way over to Lloyd. It would be a bad idea to use Spinjistu, that would just make the entire place even more unstable.

Instead, he chanced jumping from floating rock to floating rock. When he reached Lloyd, the bottoms of his tabi were burned away, and his feet _hurt_.

When he reached Lloyd, he was struck by the fact that the boy didn’t seem bothered by the heat at all. Nya grew up in a forge in Ignacious and still complained whenever the sun got just a little too hot. Lloyd grew up in the north, he should be burning right now.

Now that he thought about it, the Hypnobrai tomb was on the top of a snowy mountain. Lloyd, being a street kid, wouldn’t have any more clothes than the ones on his back, and those were _thin_. He didn’t even show signs of being in a frozen wasteland mere hours before when they showed up.

The volcano shook, reminding him that he had bigger things to worry about than Lloyd’s weird elemental… powers.

Shit. Well, looks like Kai would never be the Green Ninja. He was fine with losing the title to Lloyd though, he was a good kid.

Now, back to escaping. He took off his (helpfully fireproof) gi and wrapped it around Lloyd, who was clinging to him. They boy was practically smothered in it. Good. It meant Lloyd wouldn’t get burned if anything splashed on him. The Fang Blade had cooled down slightly, so Kai changed its position to being attached to his pants.

He wrapped both his arms around the Lloyd and hefted the boy onto his hip, the opposite side to where the Fang Blade was resting. Lloyd clung tighter as Kai looked around for an escape. The tunnels the Ninja and Serpentine had used were both blocked, and Kai’s hand and feet hurt far too much for him to concentrate on shielding Lloyd from the lava during the eruption.

There! A small hole out the side. If they went through it, they’d be out of the way of the blast. When the eruption died down, they’d be able to climb the walls and get out.

He mumbled a quick ‘hold on tight’ to Lloyd before jumping off the rock. He clung to the wall and began to climb. Apparently, Wu making him scale the stupid mountain instead of climbing the stairs was a good thing after all.

When he reached the hole, the pressure had built up to the point it was hurting Kai’s head. Hopefully, Lloyd was fine, he would have Cole’s strength, after all.

He picked the boy up, helping him crawl into the hole. It dipped down several feet after the opening inside the core. That was good, it meant they would be shielded from the heat, and they could cling to the ceiling to avoid any lava that happened to get in.

Once Lloyd was inside, Kai realised the hole’s opening was too small for him to fit through. This day really was not going well for Kai. At least Lloyd was safe. That was what mattered.

Lloyd realised the situation only seconds after Kai did. He looked desperately between the Red Ninja and the edges of the wall between them. Kai opened his mouth to reassure him but hissed when a few drops of lava landed on his back.

That seemed to be the last straw for Lloyd because he surged forward and started scratching at the rock, trying to widen the opening. When he made little progress, he yelled and punched the wall. Cracks spread from his fist and that section fell away, into the magma below them. Lloyd’s face became a very strange mix of excited and determined and he immediately started punching at the res of the walls.

By the time the hole was big enough for Kai, the splashes of magma were reaching the bottom of Kai’s feet. Lloyd grabbed his hand and pulled him through just before the volcano exploded.

Kai shielded Lloyd’s body with his own. Thankfully, it wasn’t necessary. The heat wasn’t any more intense than it was right above the magma, and the pressure eased off once the mountain blew. None of the lava managed to get into their hole. They survived.

He didn’t know how long it took for the magma to retreat back into the heart of the volcano, and for the lava to cool down to rock. It couldn’t have been any less than an hour.

Eventually, Kai pulled Lloyd out of his foetal position and helped him stand. Now that the immediate danger had passed, the pain in his hand, feet and back grew to excruciating levels. He ignored it in favour of carrying Lloyd on his back and scaling the inside of the volcano.

When they reached the top, the smoke had mostly cleared. The Bounty was gone. With nowhere to go, Kai jumped down the mountainside and into the forest below. Once they were safely away from the volcano, Kai collapsed. Lloyd shrieked as they went down, but Kai was in too much pain to care.

The last thing he processed before the world went dark was Lloyd’s terrified face.


	2. Awakening

When he woke up, the first thing Kai noticed was the smell of dirt and ash. The next thing he noticed was the _excruciating_ pain in his extremities. As well as everywhere else.

He opened his eyes, taking in the stary sky between the branches of the trees above him. A soft gasp was in only warning before a blur of red slammed into his chest.

“Kai! You’re okay! I was so worried you wouldn’t wake up.” Kai pushed the red creature away from his aching body. The creature looked up to reveal it was a teary-eyed Lloyd, still in the red gi Kai had put on him. He smiled softly and patted the kid on the head.

“I’m fine, squirt. Are you okay? I forgot to check you over. And how long was I out? And where’s the Fang Blade?”

“I’m fine, don’t worry. You protected me from everything. And only a few hours, I think. I don’t remember what the time was when we got here. I also don’t know what the time is now. The Fang Blade is right here.” He pulled his gi apart an his hoodie up to reveal the blade resting against the boy’s hip. It was easily as long as his entire torso, but the weight clearly didn’t bother him.

Kai ruffled his hair before sitting up against the tree he had been lying next to. It sent a wave of pain through his entire body, but it meant he could see where they were.

It was a small clearing, in a slightly different place to where Kai had passed out. Lloyd must have carried him over. The area was light by a, frankly pathetic, firepit. Kai shuffled slightly and used his power to strengthen the flame.

His elemental weapon was next to him, glowing softly.

The others definitely thought they were dead, which wasn’t ideal. Nya would stay in her room, not talking to anyone, like she had when their parents left. Wu would blame himself. Zane would attempt to convince either Nya or Jay to fix what he would have thought was a calculating issue, he’d convince himself they would have had time to stay and help. Jay would stay in the engine room, tinkering with anything he got his hands on. Cole wouldn’t know what to do, and he’d take it out on the training equipment.

Garmadon… Kai didn’t know about him. He obviously cared about Lloyd if the way he abandoned his quest to remake Ninjago in his image to save the boy was any indication. He’d probably either blame the Ninja or the Serpentine. Kai hoped it was the latter.

He held his right hand up to his face. The hastily-made bandage was stained with what was probably blood. he took off the bandage to reveal melted skin and muscle. A few specks of white could be seen on his fingers. Probably bone. He imagined his feet looked the same. Thankfully, the lava had cauterised the wound almost immediately after they were made. His outfit was kept clean, so he’d only have to worry about the burns on his back and feet getting infected.

The ones on his back didn’t feel so bad. He was used to spark burns and drops of liquid metal landing on him after he angrily swung a failed weapon around the forge.

He looked back down at Lloyd, who was asleep, curled into Kai’s side. That day had been way too rough on him. He was just a kid, after all. If he really were the Green Ninja, he’d find himself in even more dangerous situations. And next time, Kai might not be there to protect him.

Kai couldn’t let that happen. He couldn’t walk, could barely even move, but he could still train Lloyd. He’d make sure the kid could defend himself against anything.

-

When Kai next opened his eyes, the sun was up. Lloyd paced around the ashes of the campfire he’d set up.

“Take it easy, kid, you’ll wear a hole in the ground.” Llyod looked up and grinned upon hearing Kai’s voice.

“Kai! Now that you’re awake, we can go find the others.”

“It won’t be that easy,” Kai sighed. “I can’t walk, and you can’t defend yourself. Not to mention it would take forever to find the others.” Lloyd’s face fell. “Thankfully, I have a solution to one of these problems. How to you feel about starting your Ninja training right now?”

“I’m going to be a Ninja?”

“A Ninja in training. It took me weeks to even master the basics, and I still haven’t unlocked my true potential. I can tell you’re strong, by the time I’m healed, we might even be equal in power.” With Lloyd being the Green Ninja, and a descendant of the First Spinjistu Master, he could probably reach Kai’s power level in a matter of weeks, which Kai definitely wouldn’t tell him.

“Really?” The kid was practically vibrating.

“If you do exactly as I say, probably.”


	3. Training

Lloyd took to training surprisingly well. He was prepared to run laps, climb trees and do as many push ups as Kai wanted. Kai kept the Fang Blade folded in his gi. Once he could move his arms, the first thing he had done was reunite himself with the red cloth. Lloyd had giggled as he dramatically enacted a romance scene from the movies Jay made him watch between himself and the gi.

Now, Kai had difficulty finding ways to train his powers. He would need aspect of Cole’s, Jay’s, Zane’s and Kai’s own training. But he’d have to think about Cole’s, because Cole could dance and Lloyd couldn’t, and Jay grew up surrounded by electricity, he knows it intimately. Zane, being a Nindroid, would have limits for beyond what Lloyd could do.

Well, might as well start with what everyone did.

While Lloyd was out searching for food, Kai looked around the clearing. The trees’ branches bent and twisted unpredictably, and the wind changed their positions and caused their leaves to fall. If you wanted to jump from tree to tree, it would take a lot of spinning.

Lloyd returned, berries in his hand.

“I found these. I wasn’t sure if we could eat them, since sometimes berries are poisonous.” Kai picked through the assortment. He put the poisonous ones on the ground next to him, so that Lloyd would be able to identify them. Lloyd watched in near awe. “How do you know which ones are poisonous.”

“There’s no real trick, but growing up on the streets, you learn to figure it out.” Lloyd paused.

“You grew up on the streets too?” Kai almost cringed at the use of the word ‘too’. Lloyd didn’t deserve the life he’d had.

“Yeah. Our parents disappeared when I was young. I had to raise Nya on my own, since neither of us had jobs until I learnt how to forge, we had to resort to some things.”

“Like what?”

“Nya didn’t do anything. I made sure she was safe at home. I went into the forest and foraged. I stole from the stores. Sometimes, someone bigger than me would fight me for what I stole. I’d beat them up and take what they had.” Kai glanced at Lloyd. The boy had a strange expression on his face. “What?”

Lloyd hesitated before answering.

“You’re just like me.”

“ _You_ beat people up?”

“No! But-but I totally could if I wanted to.” Kai ruffled Lloyd’s hair. “I just…”

“Didn’t think a Ninja could come from that kind of background?”

“Yeah.”

Lloyd’s head hung. Kai hesitated before pulling the boy into his lap. Lloyd turned red at his new position but didn’t try to move.

“Anyone can become a Ninja. Who you’ve been doesn’t matter. What matters is who you want to be.”

Lloyd buried himself in Kai’s side. Kai ignored the slight sting from the Fang Blade burn. When Kai was done sorting the berries, Lloyd pulled away.

“Alright, real training starts now.” Lloyd’s face lit up. “Climb to the top of this tree. I want you to make it all the way around the clearing without touching the ground.”

Lloyd looked between Kai and the tree. He nodded and started climbing. He reached the top easily. With Cole’s strength and the training he’d already done, that was expected.

Kai watched as he nervously edged to the end of one branch. Something cracked and Lloyd hastily jumped to the next tree just before the branch came crashing down.

“Always be aware of your surroundings. Pay attention to everything that happens around you. One misstep could easily be your last.” Lloyd nodded and continued to the next tree, this time testing the branches before putting his weight on them. Every time he made a mistake, Kai pointed it out and gave advice to avoid it in the future.

Lloyd managed to make it all the way around the clearing in half an hour. Kia instructed him to do it again, but to not stop moving. This time, Lloyd fell several times. Thankfully, the trees weren’t tall enough to cause too much damage to someone with super strength.

By the time Lloyd managed to get around the clearing without stopping, the sun was setting.

“Lloyd.” The boy, covered in bruises and scratches, looked up at his name. “That’s enough for today.” Lloyd practically collapsed in relief, falling to the ground next to Kai. “Tomorrow, how do you feel about learning how to track?”

-

He’d had to convince Lloyd to pick him up, but eventually, they were walking through the forest, Kai on Lloyd’s back. He motioned for the boy to stop when he saw a set of animal tracks.

It took Lloyd slightly longer to notice them, but when he did, he made his way over. He set Kai down next to the tracks, and Kai started teaching him how to figure out how old the tracks were, what the animal was doing, and what animal they belonged to.

They followed the tracks to a river. Within the river, were several fish.

“Alright, next lesson. Making a fishing pole and using it.”

They arrived back at the clearing just after midday, hand-made buckets of fish and water, and hoodie pockets full of berries and herbs. Lloyd put Kai down against his tree. Kai immediately took the herbs and water from Lloyd.

He washed his feet and hand in the bucket first. He was flexible enough to see that the burns on his feet were almost on the verge of infection. His hand was looking slightly better. While he was washing, Lloyd was smashing up some of the herbs into a paste. He handed the bowl-shaped rock of paste to Kai, who spread it over the burns.

It stung, but Kai knew from experience it would accelerate healing and help prevent infection.

-

Almost a month later, Lloyd could track and fish on his own. He knew mostly what things were edible and what wasn’t. Most importantly, he could make his way entirely around the clearing faster than Kai could eat a berry.

His weapon-work could still be improved, but with the wood-and-stone-carved weapons, it was the best Kai could do at the moment.

Kai’s hand was still out of commission, but his feet were safe to walk on for short distances.

“When am I going to learn Spinjistu?”

“You already have.”

“You _said_ that. I feel like I would know if you taught me something like that.”

“You’d be surprised.”

“ _Sensei_ _Kai_ , please teach me how to do Spinjistu.”

“Calling me sensei may get you brownie points, but it doesn’t change the fact that I’ve already taught it to you.”

Lloyd shouted in frustration. Kai wondered if this was what he had acted like when Wu first started teaching him. He wondered if Wu was as proud as his and his brothers’ progress as Kai was of Lloyd’s.

Lloyd ran ahead, before performing several backflips to return to Kai’s side. He climbed the trees, lifted boulders, flitted between bushes, and walked on his hands. It may have just been showing off, or a kid acting like a kid, but it was training, and Lloyd deserved to act like a kid.

They had been walking all day. The nearest village was a day and a half of walking away. Only about half a day to go.

Lloyd sighed for what could have been the hundredth time.

“Are we there-“

“No, we are absolutely not starting that.”

Lloyd fell silent. The silence continued for several minutes. Then.

“Are we the-“ Kai lunged at Lloyd, who ran away, giggling. Kai continued to chase Lloyd down the path. He finally reached him when the boy got distracted boy a butterfly.

He picked Lloyd up, swinging him around before hugging him to his chest the way he had done with Nya when she was younger.

“Don’t think you can get away that easy, squirt.” It only took a soft stroke of his fingers along Lloyds sides for the boy to erupt into shrieking laughter. Kai continued tickling him until the boy went limp, slightly delirious giggles escaping him.

“Al-ha-alright. You win. Put-put me down.”

Kai sat down against a tree, trapping Lloyd in his lap.

“Why should I?”

“’Cause I’m a Ninja now. I could totally beat you up.”

“That doesn’t sound very honourable.” Lloyd stuck his tongue out. Kai made a face in retaliation. “Let’s rest here for the night. You remember how to make sure the area is safe?” Lloyd nodded at walked away to complete his task.

When Lloyd returned, Kai used the rest of the daylight to move him onto the advanced sets. Lloyd had difficulty with a few of the katas, but he learned extremely quickly. Once he activated his Spinjistu, he would only need to find to true potential before being on the same -possibly even a higher- level as the others.

Kai… still hadn’t unlocked his true potential. At this point, he probably never would. That was okay. As the Red Ninja, and as Kai, it was his duty to protect the Green Ninja, to protect Lloyd. True potential or not, nothing would stop him from doing that.


	4. An Unexpected Ally

They reached the village just after midday. Lloyd immediately ran ahead to ask for a doctor to check Kai’s burns.

They were fine, surprisingly. He just had to avoid doing anything too strenuous. His hand might never work the same, but it would definitely be functional.

The villagers were kind enough to let them stay for the next few days, free of charge.

Now that they were truly out of danger, Kai allowed himself to think about the other Ninja.

He had no idea where they were, or how they were doing. There was no way they wouldn’t have taken the loss of Kai and Lloyd hard. Without the fourth Fang Blade, the Serpentine couldn’t release the great devourer, but that wouldn’t stop them from trying to find some other way to get their revenge. Without the Sword of Fire, Garmadon couldn’t possess the four weapons, so he had no plan either.

Wow, maybe Kai should have faked his death sooner.

The sound of hissing prompted Kai to instinctively duck himself and Lloyd out of sight.

Serpentine. He pressed his ear to the wall to hear the words.

“This whole thing is pointless. The Fang Blade is gone. We should stop this whole thing.” Its voice was soft. A Hypnobrai.

“But with the Red Ninja dead, the Ninja are at their weakest. We can take them out.” The second voice was gravelly. A Constricti.

“Why? The war was years ago. The surface dweller don’t even remember it. Our elders were hatchlings when it happened. I, for one, want to put the fighting behind us.”

“That’s not what you say at the Slither Pit.”

“The Slither Pit is an agreed duel. War does nothing but scar.”

“Serpentine are born to fight!”

“Says who? We used to think the Serpentine were unbeatable. We used to think humans cared only for themselves. The humans have defeated us, several times, and each time, they spare our lives. They give us a second chance. Even after we caused the death of two of their own. We should take that chance. The Serpentine will prosper more in peace than they ever could in war.”

The Constricti hissed angrily and stomped off. The Hypnobrai sighed. Kai pulled a hood over his head popped his head through the window. The Hypnobrai was sitting against the wall of the house they were in, out of sight of the main streets.

“Do you really think that?” The Hypnobrai jumped and looked up at Kai. “That there can be peace between humans and Serpentine. You think its possible?” The Hypnobrai looked at its feet.

“There was a time before the war. I do not know how long ago it was, or how long it lasted, but we have lived in peace before. It isn’t unreasonable to think we could again. In fact, my mother told me there was a time when we thought peace would be possible. Then, the humans betrayed us.”

Lloyd leaded out next to Kai.

“My dad said the Serpentine betrayed _us_.”

“What? The humans attacked an Anacondrai camp and attempted to slaughter the generals.”

Lloyd frowned. “The Anacondrai attacked a human camp and tried to kill everyone.”

“Maybe… it was a misunderstanding.” Lloyd and the Hypnobrai turned to look at Kai. “I mean, if some information got mixed up, and both sides thought the other would betray them, they’d try to act first.” The Hypnobrai’s eyes widened.

“So the truce-break was an accident? That means peace _is_ possible! I must tell the others.”

“Others?” Lloyd practically glowed when the snake mentioned others. The Hypnobrai nodded.

“I am not the only one that is tired of this endless war. If you wish, I can come back tonight and take you to meet them.”

Kai shared a look with Lloyd. They’d have to leave the weapons behind, but if the Serpentine wanted peace, who was Kai to deny them.

Kai enjoyed fighting. Before, he would have jumped at the chance to sneak in and sabotage the Serpentine. Before, he would have been certain this was a trap. Before, he wouldn’t have thought twice before jumping into danger.

But before, he didn’t have Lloyd. Before, he didn’t have to think about the future, about Lloyd’s future. Before, he didn’t have something to protect. Nya could protect herself, and the others would look after her. Right now, Kai was all Lloyd had.

“Alright, we’ll meet you here tonight. But first, why are the Serpentine in this area?”

“Our leaders are certain that a weapon is buried within the volcano. They have sent us to excavate it.”

Lloyd pretended to shake in fear. “What will happen if they find it?”

“Something bad,” the Hypnobrai sighed. “Something that will hurt everyone, including the Serpentine.”

-

The Hypnobrai, whose name was Slyther, came after nightfall. He lead Kai and Lloyd through the forest to a rocky clearing. As they approached, Slyther leaned in to whisper in Kai’s ear.

“The Serpentine love to burrow. Our leaders will never find us above ground.”

As they entered, the gathered Serpentine stopped and stared. Kai did a quick head count. Seven Venomari, five Constricti, six (twelve?) Fangpyre, and seven Hypnobrai, including Slyther. Not many, but the fact that were any was reassuring.

“Fellow peace-seekers, I bring you two humans who overheard my conversation with Diablo. I could not convince him to join us, but I did garner the interest of humans who feel the same.” Kai stepped forward.

“It’s nice to meet you, I guess.” He chuckled sheepishly. “To be honest, I didn’t think the Serpentine would be interested in peace.” That earned a few scattered chuckles. “At first, I didn’t really want peace to work. All both of our peoples have known is to fight one another. But, recently, my circumstances changed, and it forced me to rethink things. How close are the Serpentine to their families?”

A Constricti from the back spoke up, followed by a Venomari and a Fangpyre.

“Among Constricti, we are not bothered by blood relations, but the warriors in our squad are our families. We would protect each other with our lives.”

“Venomari do not particularly care for personal relationships, however, we understand caring for your kin and squad mates.”

“The Fangpyre believe that if you have no familial ties, you have no place. Those who lost kin in the old wars went mad with grief.”

Slyther spoke last.

“The Hypnobrai believe family is everything. Everything we do, we do for our kin.”

Kai nodded.

“I don’t have any parents, but I do have siblings.” He stroked the back of Lloyd’s hood as he spoke. “All five of them are massive pains in my arse, but I can’t bear the thought of them dying in an endless war. I want them to be safe. I want everyone to be safe.”

The Serpentine cheered in agreement. A Venomari near the front spoke up once the noise died down.

“How can we achieve that, though? We are small in numbers, and the bosses will find out about us eventually. Besides, how do we know the Ninja want peace too?”

“They do.” Lloyd answered before Kai had the chance. “I’ve met the Ninja. They’re reasonable people.” Kai nodded.

“A Ninja’s duty is to protect, not fight. I’m sure the Ninja want the fighting to end just as much as you do.”

“Maybe once, but not anymore.” A Hypnobrai shook their head. “Because of us, the Red Ninja is dead. As well as Lord Garmadon’s son. They’ll never forgive us.”

Lloyd hugged Kai’s leg. He patted the boy’s head reassuringly.

“Well, I guess we won’t know until we try. We can’t change what’s happened, but we can make sure it doesn’t happen again. We can make sure no one else loses a loved one in this war. Besides, my sensei once told me the best way to defeat an enemy is to make them your friend. If the Ninja have any wisdom, they’ll see that.”


	5. Planning

It took almost another month, but eventually, the peace group grew to over a hundred Serpentine. Lloyd had grown in that time. Not much, but enough for him to brag about his head reaching Kai’s ribcage. He had helped the boy cut his hair, now it resembled a junior version of Kai’s. Lloyd loved it.

He had helped the boy train in that time. The boy was beyond anything Kai had ever seen. Once he ran out of things Wu had taught him, Cole, Jay and Zane, he started making up his own lessons.

Surprisingly, they were actually good lessons. Maybe Wu had rubbed off in him. Soon enough, Lloyd new how to deescalate situations, hotwire vehicles, think outside the box, forge weapons, think on his feet, and dance.

Kai had learned that he had unlocked his full potential after Llyod jumped out at him from behind a wooden wall and Kai had set the wall on fire. Neither of them had any idea of when Kai could have reached his full potential. Kai didn’t remember the feeling that his brothers described, and Lloyd didn’t remember him glowing.

Whether it had happened while one or both of them were unconscious, or the glowing thing only happened if you unlock your full potential in battle, they didn’t know. But it meant they had another card up their sleeve.

Just after the peace-group reached sixty, Kai had reluctantly begun to teach Lloyd to harness the elements. He had seen Zane, Jay and Cole all practicing with their element, and he learnt to control his fire with Lloyd.

-

The first time Lloyd had asked, it was after Kai proposed learning the elements. He had continued to ask every day. The night the peace-group reached one-hundred, Kai answered him.

“The reason you’re learning the elements is because it’s your destiny.”

They sat in the room the villagers had given them. Kai was sitting on the bed, Lloyd in his lap.

“My destiny?”

“Yes. I’ve never really been a fan of destiny, but you can’t really avoid it. At first, I just wanted to teach you to protect yourself. Then, I noticed things. Like the way the heat of the volcano didn’t bother you, and how you could lift three times your weight without breaking a sweat. You’re someone very special, Lloyd.”

“Who?”

“The Green Ninja. The person destined to follow in the First Spinjistu Master’s footprints. The person destined to harness the power of the elements and bring peace to Ninjago.” Lloyd clearly didn’t know what to think of the information, so Kai continued.

“It’s a massive responsibility, but I know you’re the right kid for the job. You’re just a kid now, and I won’t try to take that away from you, but I want you to know that if you ever need me, now or decades in the future, as the Green Ninja or as Lloyd Garmadon, I’ll be there.”

“…Promise?” Kai smiled and hugged the boy close.

“Promise. As long as I’m around, nothing will get to you.”

-

That night, the peace-meeting was in near chaos. Slyther ran up to them the second they entered.

“Pythor’s found a new way to resurrect the devourer!”

“He was supposed to give up,” a Venomari called from the middle of the group. “he was supposed to not find the Fang Blade and let the alliance disband!” Kai grabbed Slyther’s shoulder.

“What is he going to do?”

“My sister is Skales’ second in command. She said Pythor plans on forging a new Fang blade, using the other three as a guide.” Lloyd frowned.

“But isn’t it meant to be impossible? You said the material the Fang blade were made of no longer exist.”

“They do,” a Constricti shrieked, “We were wrong! Pythor found the Fang Ore at the base of the volcano! He’s going to use it to reforge the fourth Fang Blade!”

“Someone has to tell the Ninja.” Kai looked around the gathered group. “Does anyone here know where they are?” he was met with shaking heads. “Then we need another way to let them know.” He looked at Lloyd, maybe he knew. “I know this is a pretty bad time to put into practice that strategy training, but to you have any ideas?”

Lloyd thought about it.

“Do we know if there’s a specific place the rock needs to be forged?”

“Yes,” a Fangpyre answered, “In the Serpentine forge, where all of our sacred weapons are made.”

“Do you know where it is?”

“The Wailing Alps. It was placed there so that only the strongest and most determines Serpentine could get there. At the tip of the mountain is the entrance to the forge.”

Lloyd thought for a few more seconds before jumping up and turning to Kai.

“We can spread a rumour. With as many of us as there are, we can probably spread the news all around Ninjago before tomorrow’s sunset. If we spread the rumour on the surface, the Serpentine won’t know. And Pythor won’t act until he’s sure he’ll be safe. It will give the Ninja time to prepare to stop him.”

Wow, Lloyd really was a smart kid.

-

They spent the rest of the night coming up with a plan. After roles were assigned, all they had to do was spread the message and wait.

The Serpentine began to leave until it was just Kai, Lloyd and Slyther. Kai put a hand on Sylther’s shoulder as he was leaving.

“Hey, do you think your sister could get us on Pythor’s mountain team?”

“Why? What can you do from there?”

Kai hesitated before pulling his hood down. Lloyd followed his lead. Slyther gasped in recognition.

“After the volcano blew, we survived, but I was really hurt. We couldn’t get back to the others. If you can get us on Pythor’s team, Lloyd and I will be able to see our siblings again.”

“You and the other Ninja are… kin?”

“Almost,” Lloyd chuckled. “We all live together. We eat the same food at the same time. We know almost everything about each other. They’re family. Or as close as you can be for people who aren’t related by blood.”

Slyther hissed in thought.

“I cannot imagine being forced away from my sisters. Very well, I’ll see what I can do. In the meantime, you two should find disguises.”

“Thank you!” Lloyd practically leaped at Slyther, wrapping his arms around the snake’s waist. Slyther froze before hugging back. Kai put one hand on Lloyd’s back and the other on Slyther’s shoulder. When the snake looked at him, he nodded in thanks. Slyther looked back to Lloyd.

“My youngest sister is about your age. I’m glad I can help.”


	6. Battle

Slyther had managed to get them a place on the mountain team. They couldn’t find any disguises, but they could find a trustworthy Fangpyre friend of Slyther’s. as it turned out, if you were bit by the opposite head from the one that originally bit you, the Fangpyre venom was reversed. If the Ninja won the battle, Lloyd and Kai would come to Slyther’s friend to turn back. If Pythor won, Kai and Lloyd would stay infiltrated until they had a chance to stop the Great Devourer from being unleashed.

The team left less than a week after the Fangpyre bit them. During the journey underground to the mountain, Kai and Lloyd stayed close to Sneek, Slyther’s sister.

Most of the team was Hypnobrai, as they had been trapped under the snow for decades and their skins had adapted.

When they reached the mountain, Lloyd buried himself in Kai’s back. The Sword of Fire was hidden inside the snow jacket Kai was wearing, and the Fang Blade was hidden in Lloyd’s.

The serpentine burrowed under the snow to escape the wind, but it did nothing against the cold. Thankfully, both Kai and Lloyd had inner flames they could use to heat themselves.

Kai didn’t know whether the Ninja had believed the rumour, or if they even heard it, but it was the only chance they had. If he could do a super cool reveal after the battle, that was just a nice perk.

It took far longer than either Kai or Lloyd could take, but eventually, they made it to the top. When the first Constricti shouted in surprise before being dragged out of the tunnel, Kai and Lloyd shared a grin.

Three people, dressed in red, white and blue dropped into the tunnel, and the serpentine attacked. Kai noticed Pythor sneaking past the fighting. He nudged Lloyd and they followed him.

They stuck to the shadows as Pythor reached the forge. As they slipped in behind him, they were blasted by a wave of heat. Kai looked around to see Pythor walking down a spiralling staircase. At the bottom was a pool of magma.

When Kai looked closer, he could see a small forge next to where the staircase reached the floor.

They followed Pythor down the stairs. When he noticed them, Kai told him they were there to help. Pythor had scoffed, but otherwise ignored them.

When the three reached the forge, Kai thought about stopping Pythor there, but without backup and being surrounded by lava, it was probably a better idea to wait. He silently informed Lloyd of the plan when the boy made to attack the Anacondrai.

Pythor had completely melted the ore down and was about to pour it in the mould when Kai heard shouting from the top of the stairs. He looked up to see Jay, Zane and Cole running down the steps.

They wouldn’t make it in time. Kai and Lloyd shared a quick glance before lunging at Pythor. The Anacondrai hiss in surprise as he was dragged away from the mould. Just before Kai could grab the melted ore, Pythor’s tail tripped him over. He broke out of their hold, quickly slithering the rest of the way to the mould.

Lloyd hissed and they both flipped off the floor and onto Pythor’s back. Kai reached for the melted or while Lloyd held Pythor’s arms behind his back. Unfortunately, even Lloyd’s strength was less than Pythor’s. the snake threw Lloyd into the wall on the other side of the lava pool. Kai leaped off to catch the boy just before he fell in.

Pythor, who _somehow_ hadn’t noticed the Ninja, hissed.

“Traitors! Why do you betray your own kind?” Kai scowled.

“Releasing the Devourer will do nothing but harm to both Serpentine and humans!”

“The war was years ago!” Lloyd shouted. “The time for fighting is over. We have the chance to right the wrongs of our ancestors.”

It was kind of fun, using language that could easily imply being on either side depending on perspective. No wonder Ronin was so good at what he did.

Suddenly, Jay tripped on the stairs. Everyone watched as he bumpily rolled down. When he landed, Pythor looked up to see Cole and Zane. He looked back at Kai and Lloyd. Realising he was outnumbered, Pythor slithered to a lever in the wall Kai hadn’t previously noticed.

“Fine, if I can’t escape, neither can you!”

He pulled the lever, and the sky went dark. Kai looked up. The doorway was closed, probably locked to. Just then, the room started shaking. Jay screamed.

“Are you crazy? You’ll kill all of us!”

“That’s the plan!”

The magma started bubbling, threatening to rise. The Ninja tried to run back up the stairs, but the stone collapsed.

When the lava rose, they started climbing up the walls. Pythor tried to climb with them, but his tail meant he couldn’t. Kai reached a hand out to him. He swatted it away. The motion caused him to fall backwards, into the rising magma. Kai tried to grab his arm, but he was too late. The five watched in silence as Pythor’s screams died off and his body vanished.

Jay whimpered.

“I know I said I wanted to be with Kai and Lloyd again, but this isn’t quite what I meant.”

“Yeah.” Cole chuckled nervously. “If I knew the Gods would do this, I wouldn’t have prayed for them to give me some more time with them.”

Zane hummed. “The fact that we may die in the same way as our brothers could be considered poetic.”

“Yeah, sure, what _not_ poetic is us leaving Nya and Wu behind after they just lost two family members! And it’s especially not fun to be trapped with a bunch of _Serpentine_!”

Huh. They really did care. Also, Jay had a point. Them dying wouldn’t be great. The other Ninja were probably too panicked to do anything right now. Well, every situation can be a learning moment.

“Hey, kid.” Everyone turned to look at Kai, who was looking at Lloyd. “You remember how I taught you that thing, and you were completely sure I hadn’t?”

“Yeah, you said I’d unlock it when the time is right.” Kai nodded.

“I want you to look around. Does this situation remind you of anything I’ve had you do?”

Lloyd would be able to use Kai’s fire abilities to get close to the lava he could use Zane’s abilities to cool the whole place down. He could use Jay’s abilities to jump right to the top of the room, and he could use Cole’s abilities to break through the door. It was the perfect plan, but in order to execute it, Lloyd needed to use Spinjitsu.

“Hey, sensei.” Obviously, Lloyd had caught onto the fact that Kai was hiding their identities. It was basically Kai’s way of saying ‘we’re going to survive this’ and Lloyd’s way of saying ‘I trust you’. “I’m super sorry I called you a butthead for not telling me about it.” _‘thank you for teaching me this, and I understand why you didn’t tell me’_

“You’re forgiven.” _‘I was kind of a butthead about it’_

Lloyd nodded and leaped off the ledge. A second later, a green tornado flew above their heads, heading straight for the door. Kai started climbing faster, the Ninja following his lead.

He heard a crash, followed by Lloyd cheering, and increased his pace. When he got to the hole in the roof, Sneek’s hand came down to grab his own and pull him out. When he was steady above ground, he noticed several Serpentine helping the Ninja out.

A loud burst of magma reminded them they were still in danger of melting. Cole yelled for the Serpentine to follow them. With nothing better to do, they did. At the edge of the mountain, was the Bounty. The Ninja jumped on, then Lloyd and the Serpentine. While they did, Kai used his abilities to hold the lava back as much as he could.

Once everyone was on, he joined them, and the mountain erupted. A minute later, Wu, Nya and Garmadon walked onto the deck. Wu spoke first.

“Is there a reason you’ve brought the Serpentine onto our ship?”

“They deserve to die for what they did to my son!” Garmadon growled. Lloyd hugged Kai’s leg. Cole held his arms out placatingly.

“No one _deserves_ to die. And besides, they saved us. Well, two of them did, I can’t really see which ones.” Kai stepped forward, Lloyd and Sneek at his sides.

“What Pythor was doing was wrong.” Sneek started. “He may have fooled our leaders, but not the rest of us. The Serpentine are tired of war.” A Constricti stepped forward to join them.

“We’ve been meeting in secret ever since the Red Ninja’s death. We want him and Garmadon’s son to be the last casualties of this war.”

A Hypnobrai came next. “We wish to end this cycle of hatred and bloodshed. We want peace.”

One by one, the other snakes stepped forward, each saying their part. Some were more reluctant than others, but everyone agreed that peace would be far more beneficial to them than war. When they were done, the ship was silent.

“I do not believe they are lying.” Cole sighed, rubbing his face. Garmadon hummed.

“Lloyd was never particularly fond of fighting. I guess a truce would honour his memory.”

Kai took a deep breath before speaking.

“We’ll take you to the hideout. Once we’re there, we can convince the others that the war is over, and you guys can deal with anyone who wants to keep fighting.” Jay’s eyes widened.

“You’re one of the ones that saved us! Your name was sensei, right?” Kai laughed.

“No, that’s just what the kid calls me.” He rubbed Lloyd’s back and the boy smiled.

“It’s what you are. You taught me everything I know.” Jay’s eyes narrowed.

“You taught him Spinjistu?” The ship went silent. Kai raised an eyebrow.

“Yeah, and?”

“Where did you learn?” Zane asked curiously.

“ _My_ sensei taught _me_ , obviously.”

“I wasn’t aware the Serpentine knew Spinjistu.”

“They don’t. I’m not Serpentine.” The Ninja stepped back, but the Serpentine behind Kai didn’t react. They probably knew he and Lloyd were imposters the second they joined the group.

“A few months ago, I got really hurt. The kid saved my life. In return, I taught him everything I knew. Couple of months later, I got bit by a Fangpyre and decided to stick around.”

“It’s kind of funny.” Lloyd piped up. “Before he started training me, he was super grouchy and impatient. Now he’s completely different.”

“Yeah, well, before, I didn’t have a kid to look after. It’s kind of like seeing a smaller version of yourself. For the first time, I had to worry about the safety of someone who wasn’t myself. By seeing the way he looked at things, I started to look at things differently.”

Garmadon hummed in agreement.

“Lloyd’s mother changed after she had him. It was like she was seeing the world through two sets of eyes.”

Kai was about to respond when Lloyd yawned into his waist. He smiled softly and picked the boy up, placing him on his hip. Do you guys have anywhere we can sleep? It’ll be a day’s travel to the lair.” Zane nodded and walked forward.

He lead the group to a large storage room.

“I understand it is not quite suited to living in, but I hope there is enough room for everyone.”

Kai looked between the Serpentine settling in and Lloyd asleep in his hip. He smiled at Zane.

“It’s okay. Most Serpentine are used to sleeping in close quarters.”

Zane nodded before turning around and heading back above deck. Kai set Lloyd down on a pile of blankets before curling up next to him.


	7. The Lair

Kai woke up to Lloyd shaking him relentlessly, increasingly annoying ‘sensei’s ringing in he ears.

“Alright, I’m up, I’m up.” He sat up, stretching his limbs. “No need to get annoying about it.”

A Hypnobrai scoffed teasingly. “I’m sure you’d know all about being annoying, mister I-need-these-coats-more-than-I-need-to-breathe.” The rest of the Serpentine laughed.

“Yeah, yeah. Laugh it up. I’m not going to be the one telling the bosses Pythor failed.” Four particular snakes grimaced. The rest turned their laughter and teasing nudges to them.

Kai turned to the doorway to see Jay stifling chuckles.

“Are we waking up because we’ve arrived?” Jay nodded.

“Can you and the kid come with me. Wu said the rest of you should get ready to land.”

Kai and Lloyd looked to each other. Sneek gestured for them to follow Jay. They nodded and he led them up into the bridge.

As they walked, Lloyd asked Kai to pick him up. When he was situated on Kai’s hip, he leaned in to whisper in Kai’s ear.

“Why aren’t we telling them who we are?” Kai grinned into Lloyd’s hair.

“I want to see how long it takes them to figure it out. Being trapped in a forest is boring, and if I could figure out who you were on the verge of death, they can figure it out on their own.”

Lloyd nodded and Kai continued to carry him, only putting him down when they arrived at the bridge.

Everyone was gathered there, looking at the map. Nya turned when they entered.

“You said the hideout was here, but we can’t find anything.”

“You think it’s a trap?” He snorted at their sheepish looks. “Did you forget that snakes tend to live underground?” Lloyd giggled as their eyes widened in realisation. Nya immediately had the computer sonar sweep underground. “There, not a trap. Anything else?”

“Yeah.” Everyone turned to Cole. “Your kid. His Spinjitsu was green.”

“Sensei says I’m the Green Ninja.”

“When you watch your kid lift three times his weight and walk through fire, you start to wonder if something’s going on.”

“So the one destined to defeat me is _Serpentine_?”

“I’m not Serpentine.”

“We got turned at the same time. A friend of ours, Slyther, is one of the leaders of the peace faction. When the kid and I wanted to sneak in and spy on Pythor, he got his Fangpyre friend to bite us.”

“Are you not worried about not being able to turn back.” Zane’s question caused the others to frown worriedly.

“It’s fine. If the same Fangpyre who bit you bites you with the opposite head, you turn back. Apparently, the same thing works with the Great Devourer.” Wu and Garmadon straightened at the information. Garmadon stepped forward.

“The venom can be reversed?”

“Yeah, but the antivenom is a-“ he covered Lloyd’s ears, “-bitch to make.”

“Sensei, I know what bitch means.”

“You’re like, three.”

“I’m nine.”

“Close enough.”

The others laughed as Lloyd gasped in outrage. A second later, the ship landed. Everyone walked off. One of the Fangpyres approached the others.

“Do you want us to turn you, so you fit in?”

“No.” Cole said. “We’ll follow you guys and stick to the shadows.” Sneek nodded and opened a hidden door in a rock. The group followed her through the tunnel. Kai and Lloyd stayed at the back of the group, with the hidden Ninja. As they walked, he taught Lloyd how to sense them.

The tunnel opened into the main cave. The Serpentine leaders were in the middle, the rest of the tribes mixed on the outside. Skales was the first to notice them.

“Sneek, were you successful?”

“Pythor is dead.” The cavern gasped at Sneek’s words. “There is no way to unleash the Great Devourer, and there is no reason to. The war is over. I for one, am tired of fighting.”

“But the Land-dwellers need to pay for what they’ve done to us!” Kai didn’t see who spoke, but he did see many Serpentine nodding in agreement.

“To do so would only bring upon more violence,” Slyther piped up. “Enough people have been hurt in this war.”

The Constricti leader, Skalidor, reared. “You would dare abandon the mission your leaders have assigned you?” The other leaders joined him. The group stepped back in fear. Leaving Kai and Lloyd standing apart from them in front. Skalidor narrowed his eyes and lunged at Lloyd.

Kai was on the other side of the group. He wouldn’t get there in time. Just before Skalidor’s fangs reached Lloyd, there was a flash of red and Skalidor shrieked in pain.

Lloyd had used the hidden Fang Blade to cut one of Skalidor’s fangs off. Kai ran to Lloyd’s side before anyone else could move. The boy relaxed from his crouched position and Kai eased the blade from his hand.

“We aren’t here to fight.” Slyther spoke, walking around to stand on Lloyd’s other side. “We’re a peace group, that includes within our own species.”

“That’s the lost Fang Blade!” one head of the Fangpyre leader shrieked. “How could they have it?” hissed the other.

“We lived in that forest for over a month.” Kai slid the Fang Blade under his snow coat as he spoke. “Everything that was ever inside that volcano came out that day. Of course we went looking around.” They had actually looked around, and they’d found several skeletons, weapons, and jewels.

Suddenly, there was a whirl of blue in front of him, followed closely by black and white.

“Did you find Kai and Lloyd?” Jay screamed almost unintelligibly. Zane repeated his question more calmly, but still just as hopeful. Lloyd nodded.

“Where are they buried?” Cole asked, clearly both relieved and saddened. Lloyd grabbed Kai’s hand and squeezed. Kai squeezed back and smiled at the Ninja, then to where Nya, Wu and Garmadon were hiding.

“It’s kind of hard to bury someone who’s alive. They generally don’t like it very much.” The lair filled with movement. Slyther raised a scaly eyebrow at him.

“Impossible!” Skales spoke up. “Nothing could have survived that blast.”

Skalidor hissed again. “The Ninja are here, and we aren’t fighting them? Attack!” No one moved. Jay, Cole and Zane lifted their hands in a gesture of peace.

Slyther hummed. “I’ve heard from reliable sources that the Ninja are as keen to end this war without more death as the peace faction are.”

“And what source is that?” Skales asked. Surprisingly, he didn’t look as outraged as the other three leaders. Maybe they’d be able to get through to him.

“The Red Ninja. I met him and Lord Garmadon’s son while they were healing from injuries. We expressed to each other our wish for the war to end without more casualties.”

Skalidor and the Venomari leader, Acidicus, rounded on Slyther. They calmly slithered up to him, then lunged. Kai had just enough tip to draw the Sword of Fire and put the tip in the way of their fangs and claws. They reared back from the heat. Kai slashed his sword down, sending flames in a circle around the two leaders, as well as everyone else he knew would fight back.

During the commotion, the Fangpyre that had turned them had walked over. Kai and Lloyd each held a wrist out for them to bite. Seconds later, they were in their human forms, standing next to the other Ninja, in the middle of the Snake Den.


	8. Reunion

The entire cave stood still.

“Surprise… We’re alive!” Kai smirked at the shock on everyone’s faces.

“Have been the whole time,” Lloyd tagged on. “Though it was pretty touch-and-go for a long time.”

Skales stared suspiciously, though there was also something else Kai couldn’t identify. “How did you escape?”

“We didn’t,” Kai answered. Lloyd hugged his waist. “we found a cave to hide in until the blast was over. We still got some pretty serious burns, though. I couldn’t move for over a week.”

“My son’s the Green Ninja.” The cave turned to see Garmadon standing still. Lloyd buried his face in Kai’s side.

Kai chucked nervously, placing a comforting hand on Lloyd’s head. “Yeah, destiny’s funny like that. Still,” he turned to address the entire cave, “You’ve got yourselves five ninja, two Spinjitsu master, and one samurai. Your move."

The Serpentine murmured amongst themselves. Finally, one by one, they kneeled. Those who refused were all trapped in flames. Eventually, they too kneeled.

Skales stood and spoke.

“Very well Ninja. This war is over.”

Lloyd smiled hopefully. Kai walked up to Skales and held out a hand. “Peace?”

Skales took it. His hand was warmer than Kai would have expected from a reptile. His Eyes were closed, a Hypnobrai sign of trust. Kai copied the gesture. “Peace.”

The cave erupted in cheers. When Kai opened his eyes, Skales’ eyes were already open. The Hypnobrai was smiling, not a hint of anything nefarious.

Kai looked around the cave. Serpentine were hugging and laughing. Hugging each other, hugging the ninja, hugging anything they could wrap their arms around.

He turned his gaze back to Skales, who now had Slyther and Sneek flanking him. Slyther put a hand on Skales’ shoulder.

“I told you this would work, brother.” Kai quickly hid his surprise. Skales paused, then nodded.

“You were right. We can finally end this needless violence and create a place for our children to grow up safe.”

The three looked up at Kai. Slyther gestured his head over his shoulder. Kai turned around to see Lloyd happily embracing his father, the other ninja crowding around, all trying to wrap their arms around him.

Kai smiled softly and walked over.

Nya was the first to notice him. She ripped herself away from Lloyd and lunged into his arms. Kai wrapped his arms around her. They fit perfectly into the curves of each other’s body, just like they always had. Kai squeezed tighter. First Master, he had missed her _so much_.

Jay came next, launching himself onto Kai’s back and clinging to his shoulders. Kai used one hand to help him adjust his position into a more stable, comfortable one, while the other hand stayed on Nya’s back. Kai felt the static pick up around him, increasing as Jay rubbed his cheek against Kai’s hair.

Zane followed, digging his face into the crook of Kai’s neck. He didn’t get very far, considering he was nearly a head taller than Kai, but somehow, it worked. Kai welcomed the cool touch. He’d been running far too hot.

Cole was right behind Zane, wrapping the whole group in his arms and lifting them off the ground. The four in the air shrieked in shock and delight. When they were back on the ground, Kai leaned against Cole’s chest. He was just as strong and stiff as the rocks Kai had grown used to sleeping on, but so much _better_.

Lloyd burrowed his way between arms and legs and buried himself in Kai’s stomach. Everyone squeezed tighter around the boy. Kai had missed his siblings. So, so much. 

He felt something roll down his cheek. It wasn’t until Nya reached up a hand to brush the tears away that he realised he was crying. He looked around to see his siblings were all teary-eyed as well.

Wu and Garmadon came forward together as the group broke apart. Wu brought Kai into a firm hug.

“I’m glad you’re safe, Kai. Things have been hard without you.” Kai squeezed back, careful enough not to hurt the old man. When they separated, Wu patting his forearm gently, Garmadon stepped up to him and place a hand on his shoulder.

“Thank you for protecting my son.” Kai smiled, patting Garmadon’s hand.

“He’s family. What else could I have done.” Garmadon froze. After a second, he broke into a small grin. Then, he paused.

“You said something about a cure for Devourer venom?” Kai nodded and called Slyther over.

“Garmadon’s interested in having the evil flushed out of his veins. You think you can do that?”

Slyther hissed thoughtfully. He left, then came back with a pair of Fangpyre and a Venomari.

“This is Kobra, Atta, and Vypir. They’re researchers on Serpentine venom. They think it’s possible to create a cure for Devourer venom, if they can get a sample of it.

Garmadon raised his arms invitingly. “You’ve got yourselves a sample right here. Go ahead.”

The Venomari, Kai was pretty sure they were Vypir, hummed. “It would be simple with a fellow Serpentine. But we don’t know enough about human blood to be able to separate it from the Devourer’s.”

“But,” Kai said, stepping forward, “You’ve got seven full blood humans, two of which are related to the victim. That should be enough, right?”

One of the Fangpyre, probably Atta, nodded. “It should be enough.”

Kobra and Atta left, coming back with several syringes and a cart of vials and other scientific instruments Kai didn’t recognise. They all presented their arms, and the snakes took a sample.

“We suspect the antivenom will take anywhere from a week to a month to perfect. Are you alright waiting until then?”

Garmadon nodded. “If I can rid myself of this disease, I don’t care how long it takes.” He pulled Lloyd close to him. “And I want to see my wife again. I haven’t since Lloyd was born.”

Lloyd pulled away. “My mum? What’s she like?”

Garmadon frowned. “You don’t know?”

“I’ve been at Darkley’s for as long as I can remember.” Lloyd hung his head. Garmadon patted him gently.

“Well then, we’ll just have to find her together.”

-

They found Misako while touring a museum in Ninjago City. It was Zane’s making-day, and he wanted to visit.

They’d had to hide the Golden Weapons, and the Fang Blades, from Garmadon and a few Serpentine but neither party cause trouble. Garmadon occasionally did something sinister, but they managed to catch him before he got out of hand.

Lloyd had literally run into her while he and Jay were racing to see who could reach the space section faster. Wu had recognised her immediately.

She had known Lloyd was the Green Ninja and had been researching the prophesy, looking for ways to avoid it. They told her about the cure to Devourer venom, and she agreed to come home with them.

-

A month after Pythor died, the antivenom was ready. They were all there as the red liquid entered Garmadon’s veins. By the end of the week, he only had two arms and his skin was its regular, pale colour. His eyes still glowed slightly red when he was feeling something particularly negative, but he never even thought of doing as he once planned.

Kai watched his brothers and sister sitting at a pier, watching fish swim beneath them. Kai wasn’t a big fan of water, so he watched them from a tree branch. He moved his gaze to the shore, seeing Wu, Garmadon and Misako share a pot of tea.

He was glad they were all with him, and he’d always be grateful, to fate, or to anyone who was watching over them.


End file.
